Angara Airlines Flight carrying 49 people Crashes in Russia’s Amur Region, No Survivors Reported
No survivors among the 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members on board.
A devastating tragedy struck Russia’s far east today as an Angara Airlines Antonov An-24, carrying 49 people, crashed in the Amur region near the town of Tynda, close to the Chinese border. The flight, operating on the Khabarovsk–Blagoveshchensk–Tynda route, disappeared from radar during its final approach to Tynda Airport, with authorities confirming no survivors among the 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members on board.
The aircraft, a nearly 50-year-old Soviet-era An-24 built in 1976, lost contact with air traffic control around 1 p.m. local time after a failed second landing attempt in poor visibility conditions.
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A Mi-8 helicopter from Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, later located the burning wreckage on a mountainside approximately 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Tynda Airport.
The fuselage was engulfed in flames, and dense forests and rugged terrain complicated initial rescue efforts, preventing helicopters from landing at the crash site.Preliminary reports from Russia’s state-owned news agency TASS point to crew error during landing amid low visibility and challenging weather conditions as a possible cause of the crash.
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The Amur region, known for its remote and mountainous landscape, often poses difficulties for aviation operations, particularly for aging aircraft like the An-24, which is designed for rugged environments but has faced scrutiny over its extended service life.
Regional governor Vasily Orlov confirmed the passenger count and stated, “All necessary forces and means have been deployed to search for the plane.” Russia’s transport investigative committee has launched a criminal investigation under Article 263, Part 3 of the Criminal Code, which addresses violations of air transport safety resulting in multiple fatalities.
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Malfunction and human error are being closely examined as contributing factors. The crash marks Russia’s first fatal passenger aviation incident since July 2021, when an An-26 went down in Kamchatka, killing 28 people.
The tragedy has reignited debates about the safety of Russia’s aging regional aircraft fleet, particularly as Western sanctions since 2022 have limited access to spare parts and maintenance resources.
Angara Airlines, like other regional carriers, has sought government approval to extend the operational life of its Antonov fleet due to a lack of modern alternatives, a decision now under scrutiny.
Rescue operations continue, with ground teams struggling to access the crash site due to the area’s dense taiga and marshland. The Russian emergencies ministry reported that four additional aircraft are on standby to support recovery efforts.
One Chinese national was among the passengers, according to China’s Xinhua news agency. The crash has sent shockwaves through the Amur region, a remote area reliant on regional flights for connectivity.
As investigations proceed, questions about aviation safety, fleet modernization, and the impact of sanctions on Russia’s airline industry are expected to dominate discussions in the coming days.
Angara Airlines has not yet issued a formal statement, but the focus remains on supporting the families of the victims and uncovering the full circumstances of this tragic event.
